Movie Review: Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Posted By Iain McNally on November 3, 2013
Of all the comic book heroes that Marvel Studios planned to bring to the silver screen in the wake of the success of Iron Man and on the road to an Avengers movie, the Asgardian Thor seemed to be the one least likely to succeed, with its mix of sorcery, pseudo sciences and super heroics. However, with Kenneth Branagh’s theatrical hand at the tiller and a solid, charming cast that made Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston into global superstars and a large dose of good humour, Marvel Studios proved that they could bring the hammer wielding godling into the “real world” successfully.
With the three Iron Man movies under their belt, with the third launching “Phase 2” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor: The Dark World provides a slightly different take on maintaining the world of a comic book hero to that than used in the Iron Man trilogy.
After a brief prologue introducing Christopher Ecclestone’s Malekith, his Dark Elves and their defeat at the hands of Odin’s father Bor (an uncredited, bewigged Tony Curran), the story begins with Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Sif (Jaimie Alexander) and The Warriors Three busy mopping up some of the chaos and turmoil that has arisen while Asgard (apparently the cops of the nine realms) was cut off while rebuilding the Bifrost that was destroyed at the end of the first film. Loki too is checked in on, in his new prison cell, and the growth of Thor’s character can be seen in his interaction with all those around them, especially with his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins).
A wiser Thor
Similarly on Midgard/Earth, we also catch up with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her misfit band of scientists, Darcy (Kat Dennings) and Alexander Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård), as Jane pines for Thor. She tries to move on with her life in London and encounters strange anomalies while Selvig has to contend with the after effects of “having a God in his head” for a protracted period of time.
Catching up with pretty much everyone from the first film, dealing with the repercussions of their actions then, and to a lesser extent in The Avengers, provides a greater feeling of a coherent series. As if looking in on a long running superhero soap opera than the more standalone adventure feel of Tony Stark’s escapades. There’s a sense of checking in with these characters in their daily lives, even if it just so happens we’re checking in when things get pretty hectic, as the Dark Elves are awoken from their millennia long slumber to reclaim the Aether, their Doomsday weapon and seek vengeance on Asgard.
Malekith and his Dark Elves
It will be interesting to see if the next phase 2 film, Captain America:The Winter Soldier, follows the same tack. While the recent trailer does feature Nick Fury, Black Widow and the Falcon, it’s unclear if they are building a story and cast of characters in the same way or will pursue standalone James Bond style adventures.
On the face of it, the fight against the Dark Elves is pretty basic fate-of-the-universe stuff and, in all honesty, Eccleston is not given much to do as Malekith, existing more as a force of nature than an actual character, but everyone else in the film is given so much room to grow it barely matters. The support characters are used well enough that any feeling that these are just fan pleasing cameos is dismissed, although there is definitely one of those with one other Avenger turning up in a nice, unforced manner that also manages to poke fun at the whole set up.
Asgard under attack
And so, Asgard is attacked, Loki plots, Thor suffers divided loyalties between Asgard and Midgard, Jane Foster goes on a date with Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids), Darcy looks for a date, Odin shouts a lot, there are double crosses, triple crosses and more, and a prominent scientist goes naked at Stonehenge. Yet, it all feels perfectly natural in the world that has been created for the film. The feeling of seeing one part of a planned whole is reinforced by the tantalising set up of a number of elements to be played out in future Thor movies, not just shout outs to The Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy (more on that later).
Yep, this is an actual still from Thor:The Dark World
New director Alan Taylor handles this odd mish mash naturally. At times providing the best case for a He-Man movie. With a mix of mystical weapons, flying fighter craft and laser cannons, but also inserts moments of real humour into the film, most of which feature Stellan Skarsgård, but with a 5 minute section near the end of the movie that is littered with laughs even when the characters plights look to be at their darkest.
While Branagh’s realisation of the world of Asgard was fantastic, Taylor’s Game of Thrones experience does show in some of the costuming and production design as the Asgardians look more comfortable in their armour this time around and some locations, most notably Hogun’s home realm of Vanaheim, look as if they are scenes straight from Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings.
Selvig explains it all
This is greatly contrasted with scenes of a drab London that can’t simply be blamed on the weather thanks to scenes of a sun washed London at the end of the film, but works to contrast the different realms of Asgard, Midgard (Earth) and Svartalfheim, home of the Dark Elves.
As a fan of the Marvel cinematic universe, so far I was more than happy to visit with these characters again (if not entirely the same actors in the case of Zachary Levi’s Fandral) and see them grow, especially in the case of Hemsworth’s Thor. Having gone through his Hero’s Journey in the first film, Thor is no longer the brash, callow warrior who had his powers stripped from him, but is a weathered leader who longs for his brother’s redemption and more than holds his own against Tom Hiddleton’s excellent trickster. Loki is Loki, so much so that fans of the character, in any of his many incarnations, may see some of his “tricks” coming a mile off, however, the destination he reaches more than makes up for it.
As is now apparently the tradition, The Dark World features two extra scenes at the end of the film. One after the initial set of animated credits and another at the very end of the full credits roll.
The first is a trifle that should really have been in the film, but the second gives us the first glimpse of a character from the Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as a hint of what that world will look like. Based upon the deft handling of Thor and this all too brief scene, I cannot wait for August 2014.
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